Chrysanthemum plant named `Alcala`

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named `Alcala`, characterized by its spherical and mounded plant habit; high vigor and rapid growth rate; multiple secondary laterals and numerous leaves; daisy-type inflorescences; purple ray florets with yellow disc florets; numerous inflorescences per plant; and good garden performance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of garden Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora and referred to by the cultivar name Alcala.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor in Staden, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program was to create new garden Chrysanthemum cultivars that are freely branching and have numerous and long-lasting inflorescences.

The new cultivar originated from a cross made by the inventor of the nonpatented cultivar Rostoline as the female, or seed, parent with the nonpatented cultivar Prisma as the male, or pollen, parent.

The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Staden, Belgium.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Staden, Belgium, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of `Alcala`. These characteristics in combination distinguish `Alcala` as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Spherical and mounded plant habit, vigorous, and rapid growth rate.

2. Extremely freely branching with secondary laterals and numerous leaves gives full, bushy appearance.

3. Daisy-type inflorescences.

4. Purple ray florets with yellow disc florets.

5. Numerous inflorescences per plant.

6. Good garden performance.

The cultivar Alcala has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

In side-by-side comparisons in Staden, Belgium, under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Rostoline, in ray floret color, inflorescence form and size. In the same comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from the male parent, the cultivar Prisma, in ray floret color, inflorescence form and plant size.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to the cultivar Stargazer (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,695). However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oxnard, Calif., under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Stargazer in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are full, spherical and mounding whereas plants of the cultivar Stargazer are upright.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Stargazer.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more freely branching with almost twice the number of primary laterals of plants of the cultivar Stargazer. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have numerous secondary lateral branches.

4. Leaves of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are smaller but more numerous than leaves of plants of the cultivar Stargazer.

5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are smaller, flatter and have fewer ray fiorets but are more numerous than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Stargazer.

6. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have weaker and shorter peduncles than plants of the cultivar Stargazer.

A detailed comparison of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Stargazer appears in Chart A at the end of the specification.

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The first photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering 16.5-cm container of `Alcala` with five cuttings in the container.

The second photograph comprises a close-up view of leaves at different stages of development and a fully opened inflorescences. Foliage and floret colors in the photographs may appear different from the actual colors due to light reflectance.

In the following description, color references are made to the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Oxnard, Calif., under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with night temperatures ranging between 14 and 20C, day temperatures ranging between 20 and 30C, and average light levels of 5,000 to 6,000 footcandles.

After sticking unrooted cuttings of the new cultivar, plants received 4 weeks of long day/short nights followed by short day/long nights until flowering. Measurements and numerical values represent ranges or averages for six typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Alcala.

Commercial classification: Garden chrysanthemum.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.--Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Rostoline (not patented).

Male, or pollen, parent.--Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Prisma (not patented).

Propagation:

Type.--Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.--10 to 12 days with soil temperatures of 20C.

Rooting habit.--Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.--Perennial herbaceous garden plant. Spherical and mounded growth habit. Rapid growth rate and vigorous. Extremely freely branching with numerous secondary laterals.

Plant height.--About 20 cm.

Lateral branch length.--About 14 cm.

Quantity of lateral branches after removal of apical meristem.--Primary laterals: About 6. Secondary laterals: About 14.

Stem color.--38B.

Foliage description.--Number of leaves per plant: About 168. Number of leaves per lateral branch: Primary laterals: About 14. Secondary laterals: About 15. Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Leaf size, fully expanded: Length: About 3.8 cm. Width: About 2.7 cm. Leaf apex: Rounded, apiculate. Leaf base: Attenuate. Leaf margin: Palmately lobed. Leaf texture: Abaxial and adaxial surfaces slightly pubescent, smooth and dull. Veins prominent on abaxial surface. Petiole length: About 8 mm. Color: Young foliage adaxial surface: 147A. Young foliage abaxial surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage adaxial surface: 147A. Fully expanded foliage abaxial surface: 147B. Venation adaxial surface: 138A. Venation abaxial surface: 147C. Petiole: 147A.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.--Daisy-type inflorescence form. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on a flat capitulum.

Flowering response.--Under natural conditions, plants flower in the autumn. Inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to 3 or 4 weeks of long day/short night conditions after sticking followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions, flower about 49 days later. Inflorescences maintain good substance for three weeks under bright natural daylight.

Quantity of Inflorescences.--About 12 to 14 inflorescences per flowering stem.

Inflorescence size.--Diameter: About 4 cm. Depth (height): About 8 mm Diameter of disc: About 8 mm.

Opening inflorescences.--Bud shape: Spherical. Bud size: Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Bud color: 75A.

Ray florets.--Shape: Narrow, oblong. Size: Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Apex: Slightly tri-dentate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Matte, soft, smooth and glabrous. Aspect: Flat, but reflex rapidly with development. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 28. Color: When opening, adaxial surface: 72A. When opening, abaxial surface: 84B. Mature, adaxial surface: 80C. Mature, adaxial surface: 84C Fading to: 78C.

Disc florets.--Shape: Tubular. Size: Length; About 4 mm. Width: About 1 min. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 90. Color: Immature: 4C. Mature: 4B.

Peduncle.--Aspect: Weak, wiry and angled about 20° to 25° to the stem. Length: First peduncle: About 4.7 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 5.8 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 138B.

Reproductive Organs.--Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anther color: 13A. Pollen: Moderate, 13A in color. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Style color: 154C.

Disease resistance: No known Chrysanthemum diseases observed to date on plants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

                  CHART A                                                          ______________________________________                                         CHARACTERISTIC    `ALCALA`   `STARGAZER`                                       ______________________________________                                         PLANT SHAPE       Spherical, Upright                                                             rounded                                                      GROWTH HABIT      Medium to  Medium                                                              short                                                        GROWTH RATE/VIGOR Rapid/vigorous                                                                            Moderate/                                                                      moderate                                          PLANT HEIGHT      About 20 cm                                                                               About 24 cm                                       LATERAL STEM LENGTH                                                                              About 14 cm                                                                               About 18 cm                                       QUANTITY OF LATERAL                                                                              About 6    About 3 to 4                                      BRANCHES AFTER PINCHING                                                                          primary laterals                                                               with about 14                                                                  secondary                                                                      laterals                                                     STEM COLOR        138B       144A                                              LEAF LENGTH       About 3.8 cm                                                                              About 5 cm                                        LEAF WIDTH        About 2.7 cm                                                                              About 3.8 cm                                      PETIOLE LENGTH    About 8 mm About 1.8 cm                                      QUANTITY OF       About 12 to 14                                                                            About 7 to 8                                      INFLORESCENCES PER                                                             LATERAL STEM                                                                   INFLORESCENCE DIAMETER                                                                           About 4 cm About 5 cm                                        INFLORESCENCE HEIGHT                                                                             About 8 mm About 1.2 cm                                      BUD COLOR         75A        72A                                               RAY FLORET SHAPE  Narrow, oblong                                                                            Broad, obovate                                    RAY FLORET LENGTH About 2 cm About 2.2 cm                                      RAY FLORET WIDTH  About 4 mm About 7 mm                                        RAY FLORET COLOR, 72A        64A                                               WHEN OPENING, ADAXIAL                                                          RAY FLORET COLOR, 84B        64B                                               WHEN OPENING, ABAXIAL                                                          RAY FLORET COLOR, MATURE,                                                                        80C        70B                                               ADAXIAL                                                                        RAY FLORET COLOR, MATURE,                                                                        84C        75C                                               ABAXIAL                                                                        RAY FLORET COLOR FADING                                                                          78C        70C                                               TO                                                                             NUMBER OF RAY FLORETS PER                                                                        About 28   About 60                                          INFLORESCENCE                                                                  DISC FLORET COLOR,                                                                               4C         2C                                                IMMATURE                                                                       DISC FLORET COLOR, MATURE                                                                        4B         2C                                                DIAMETER OF DISC  About 8 mm About 1 cm                                        NUMBER OF DISC FLORETS PER                                                                       About 90   About 114                                         INFLORESCENCE                                                                  PEDUNCLE STRENGTH Weak, wiry Strong                                            PEDUNCLE LENGTH, FIRST                                                                           About 4.7 cm                                                                              About 6.2 cm                                      PEDUNCLE LENGTH, FOURTH                                                                          About 5.8 cm                                                                              About 8.5 cm                                      PEDUNCLE COLOR    138B       146C                                              ANTHER COLOR      13A        12A                                               POLLEN COLOR      13A        12A                                               ______________________________________                                     

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named `Alcala`, as illustrated and described. 